Device for gathering sheets to form periodicals and the like.



le. sPlEss. DEVICE FOR GATHERING SHEETS T0 FORM PERIODICALS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27| I9I5.

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GEORG- SIPIESS, 0F LEIPZIG-REUDNTZ, GERMANY.

DEVICE FOR GATHERING SHEETS TO FORM PERIODICALS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application led November 27, 1915. Serial No. 63,740.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, GEORG Srniss, a citizen of the German Empire, and a resident of Leipzig-Reudnitz7 in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Gathering Sheets to Form Periodicals and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in devices for gathering sheets to form periodicals, to assemble sheets of music, newspapers and the like.

Heretofore machines for piling single sheets of paper were known. These inachines arrange the sheets in the folded condition, one on top of the other, according to their successive numbers so that the sheets are gathered in propersuccessive order for being further worked up. If printed and folded sheets are gathered to form periodicals or sheets of music assembled or newspapers and united by binding, then it is nec,- essary to unfold the sheets and gather them' in the unfolded condition.

According to the present invention the described purposes are attained by means of mechanical devices. The folded sheets which are vertically arranged one behind the other are seized, one after the other, on one single thickness of paper or leaf by a transport device and held solely on this one leaf during the transportation. Each moving sheet thus is allowed t0 unfold and spread whereupon the transported sheets are deposited, in the unfolded condition, Vone on 'top of the other.

It is known to assemble folded sheets which shall be bound in such manner that the inner front sheet of the vertical stack is somewhat opened by means of a pneumatic suction device and transported in this condition to the pile table which forms a V- shaped saddle. This arrangement, however, suers from rthe defect that the sheets have the tendency to fold again and therefore special devices must be employed to protect the assembled sheets against re-folding.

The described defect has been overcome by tlie'present invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawing iii which:

Figure l represents in side elevation with Some parts in section a machine for unfolding and gather-in sheets for forming periodicals and the ike.

Fig. 2 shows the machine in top plan view.

-means of a crank rod F.

Similar characters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

In the machine illustrated a device for gathering sheets is employed by means of which the inner front sheet is separated by a pneumatic suction device and then mechanically transported to the table upon which the pile is formed. The stack of sheets A is vertically arranged upon the stack table B. Before the inner front of the stack a swinging member C is provided which serves as a support for the pneumatic suction pipe D. The swinging member C may be cylindrical or partly cylindrical and the stack of sheets rests against the outer surface of the same. An ascending and descending swinging motion is imparted to the member C from a crank disk E by A sheet separated from the stack by the pneumatic suction pipe D is transported in an upward direction. When in the horizontal top plane which the sheet may reach it is seized by a gripper G which is attached to a carriage H. The gripper carriage receives a to and fro motion by means of an endless chain I or a similar device. The swinging to and fro motion also is imparted to the gripper carriage from the crank disk E by means of the crank rod K. rlhe crank rod transmits the motion to the sprocket wheel L so that the wheel imparts a to and fro motion to the gripper carriage H in a direction opposite to the movement of the swinging member C. The chain to which the gripper carriage H is attached is guided over guiding rollers Il, I2.

In accordance with the present invention the folded sheets of the stack A are so arranged upon the -stack table that their open ends are on the top. This renders it possible that the pneumatic suction pipe D acts only on the inner fron-t leaf of a folded sheet. The pneumatic pipe D now 1performs an' ascending movement during w ich this leaf of the sheet alone will rest against the surface of the swinging member C while the second leaf of the sheet unfolds and the upper end of the first sheet transported by the pneumatic pipe is seized'by the gripper G. The gripper carriage with the gripper thereon now transports the unfolded sheet and deposits it upon the pile table M. In order to facilitate the unfolding of the sheet spreading arms R are provided above the stack of folded sheets A. The sheet spreading arms reach into the sheets to be unfolded so that during further transportation of the sheet the second leaf must slide underneath the sheet spreading arms. lf now the various sheets have been deposited upon the pile table M in the described manner then the sheets are further transported, step by step, and gathered one on top of the other in known manner. lThe sheets being in the unfolded condition accordingly are assembled while unfolded.

A number of unfolded sheets gathered as described to form a periodical may be directly bound at the end of the pile table M. For this purpose the device illustrated is provided with binding heads N 'located underneath 'the pile table M and counter binding members O are mounted above the table. rlhe gathered sheets between these heads N and binding members 0 are bound by this arrangement shortly before leaving the table and thus form a finished periodical which is closed and brought upon the table P.

The pneumatic suction device for separating the inner leaf of each folded sheet and transporting it may be varied in the detailsV of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention and a mechanical transport may be applied.

rlhe described machine may be used for forming bound or unbound periodicals. ln each instance the sheets which have been gathered in an unfolded condition are closed during the last phase of the method by hand or mechanically.

l claim as my invention:

l. A. machine for gathering sheets to form periodicals and the like comprising a stack table with folded sheets thereon'having their open ends at the top, means for raising the inner leaf of each folded sheet thus allowing nee-celia it to partially open itself, and sheet spreading arms reaching between both leaves of the sheet whereby the unfolding is comleted. p 2. A. machine for gathering sheets to form periodicals and the like comprising a stack table with folded sheets thereon having their open ends lat the top, a movable pneumatic suction device acting only on the inner leaf of a sheet and raising it, and sheet spreading arms reaching between both leaves of the sheet allowing the second leaf to pass underneath it whereby said second leaf is completely spread out.

3. A machine for gathering sheets to form periodicals and the like comprising a stack table with folded sheets thereon, having their open ends at the top, means for raising the inner leaf of each folded sheet thus allowing it to partially open itself, sheet spreading arms reaching between both leaves of the sheet whereby the unfolding is completed, and means for depositing the sheets while in the spread out and open condition.

Ll. A machine for gathering sheets to form periodicals and the like comprising a stack table with folded sheets thereon having their open ends on the top, a movable pneumatic suction device acting only on the inner leaf of a sheet and raising it, and sheet spreading arms reaching between both leaves of the sheet for completely spreading out the second leaf, means for transporting the unfolded sheets, means for gathering the sheets to form periodicals and means for binding and collectin the nished periodicals.

Signed at eipzig, Germany, this Qd day of November, 1915.

GEERG SPESS.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FRiGKE, lCLrsAsnTi-r Fiiirzsona. 

